Infinite Nursing

That’s kinda what you get when an infinity scarf doubles as a nursing cover, right?  Or maybe I’m just confused with what nursing sometimes feels like.  And maybe those feelings are taking me back to nursing the twins at which time it did seem like I spent infinite amount of time nursing.  And maybe I’m just getting way off track here.  Focus. 

Right.

A few months ago I was strolling the clearance area of our local Hancock Fabrics when I spotted this striped jersey knit, marked at $3:
 
It was about a yard of fabric, 60” wide, a deep olive and white (though it looks black in the pictures), and I scooped it up because I can’t say no to oh-so-soft stripes.  A couple of days later I turned it into a nursing cover/infinity scarf and this is the story of how I did it.

First I squared off the fabric.  The long edges were cut a little quirky so all I had to do was cut along the stripes/sides to get a nice straight edge.  See the crooked edge before?

A cut along the lines made everything much better.
 
If you’re working with a non-striped pattern, using a cutting mat or a squared edge will help you get straight, 90 degree edges.

Now I had a big rectangle of fabric measuring 36” x 60”; the two shorter ends were the factory-cut edges (or selvage edges) and the longer edges were the store-cut ones/the ones I evened out.  Since the fabric was jersey and wouldn’t fray, I just left these outside, long edges alone after they were cut; no hemming.  To get the infinity scarf, I sewed the two short edges together.  However, this could easily be done minus the sewing with some no-sew tape.  Here’s how:

The No-Sew Version

Place a long piece of no-sew tape along the short edge of your scarf (I used some white ribbon just for a visual).
 

Making sure your long piece of fabric isn’t twisted somewhere in the middle, bring your other short edge over and lay it on top of the sewing tape.  Your fabric should be laying flat and should be a large tube.  Make sense?

Last, using the steam option on your iron, iron down those two, overlapping ends.  The no-sew tape will do its magic and make those ends stick together and you’ll be good to go!
 


The Sewn Version

If you decide to sew your edges together, simply overlap them a half inch or so and pin them together.
 

No need to fold anything; the jersey won’t fray.
 

Then sew a straight stitch right along your overlapping layers, making sure to backstitch at each end and that’s it!    
I wear the seam at the back so it’s not noticeable at all.

No baby:

I couldn’t decide which shoes to wear…
 

Baby:


And I was going to crop this one but then I just couldn’t because it’s kinda the story of my life – I sit down to nurse and somebody has to go.
 

What’re you lookin’ at?

Here’s the funny thing about this little project, I was so excited to share this with you guys a couple of months ago when I made it because I really thought this infinity scarf/nursing cover was a genius idea and I thought I was the first to discover it but alas, there are those who have been there, done that.  :)  So great though because, if you don’t feel like making your own, you can find them at these fine shops:

Hold Me Close

Nursing Time

Three 4 Design

.           .           .

Happy TGIalmostF

A Story of Two Becoming One

Missed the prequels?  Read about our friendship here and our best friendship here.

The day was December 1, 2007.  The night before, meteorologists on all channels warned of an ice storm coming through that night into the next morning that would halt life as we knew it.  We asked for it; planning our wedding for a day right smack dab in the middle of winter in Nebraska.  Wish for the opposite as we might’ve, when we woke up that morning, every single thing outside had a thick coat of the cold, hard stuff over it.  I took this picture of the grass while we headed to the car that we weren’t supposed to be driving (verrrry slowly), to the wedding, on the hazardous roads:

[ice ice baby]

Despite the ice though, that day ranks up there as one of the best days of my life (rivaled only by three births).  My sisters prepped me that morning (think hair, make-up, dress, waxing…my own personal salon and day spa) and that alone will always be cherished.

 

We spent the morning snacking and laughing and talking and all of us so intrigued by this road that none of us had  ever experienced as of yet – the marriage of a sibling.  One of us was, in a sense, leaving the only family we had ever known to join to another and that was scary and exciting all rolled up into one little ball of happiness.

It took us a good hour to drive what is usually a 20-25 minute drive to the church that day but we made it, the show went on, there were tears during the procession (sisters raise their hands) and vows (my hand goes up), and a very, very happy married couple in the end.

We had small wedding planned (about 120 people) but only about two-thirds of our guests were able to come thanks to the big ice blanket outside.  But, we were blessed to have almost every single one of our closest friends in attendance.

 

I don’t want to get too lost in details because there are so, so many and we’ll border novel status but if you have a hankering for more, you can watch this video, read about how we planned a wedding on a budget here, and know that talk of our wedding probably isn’t over because, hello, I’m a blogger and I frequent memory lane.  We ate, drank, danced, and were merry and then, just like that, the day came to a close and, despite the freezing cold outside the heat rose…if you know what I mean.  Wait, did I just cross an invisible line?  Sorry, let me take a step over and into the honeymoon.  ;)

We planned our wedding on a very tight budget and our honeymoon as well.  Thanks to a family spending effort on our credit card, we racked up enough miles to get us to Italy, where we spent the week after our wedding.  We rented a car and made our way from Rome down to Tuscany where we stayed in a quaint villa in the middle of a vineyard. 

[The only time I sat in the drivers’ seat, while the rental was parked.  Have you seen Italians drive?  My husband is one and you best know I ain’t steering no wheel in that craziness.]

The balcony off our villa, an incredible view, and the man of my dreams who had just become mine forever…
…cue the sighs and heart eyes via muah.

The honeymoon was amazing.  The food, oh my gosh, SO. GOOD.  We ate out a few times, once in a castle in which we were the only guests (off-season is the way to go!) and grabbed the rest of our food at markets to make at home.  We spent the days traveling to different parts of Tuscany and even made our way to Siena and Assisi for a couple of day trips.  We did, however, forget a clock and the villa was without one (no international cell plan either so no dice there!) which caused lots of confusion waking up in the supposed middle of the night/early morning/latelate night…wait, what time is it?  #jetlag  But the great thing was that there’s a thing called a sun (the big yellow one…Brian Regan anybody?) and when it was up, we knew it was morning so no worries!  ;) 

 
[Assisi]

[around our villa]
 

[also around our villa]


[in a nearby village]


[completely satisfied]


[the Italian countryside…take me back]


[Assisi]

Also, even though the pictures might make it look like we were basking in the decent weather, it was pretty darn cold over there.  It was an additional fee (per heating unit…whatever that is) to run the electric heater in the villa so we ran it for maybe an hour all week, not wanting to rack up a huge bill we didn’t want to pay.  When we checked out and went to pay that heating bill we thought would probably be $50, imagine the face palm that followed when it was only $3 and we had kept our villa near freezing all week.   Thank goodness for all the cuddling and all the…oops, there’s that line again.  ;)

Part four, next in line!  Stay tuned!

Trashy

That’s quite literally what our front door might’ve looked like prior to last week.  You might remember (and hopefully you don’t) that after I painted the inside of our front door, I had a trash bag on loan to be hung over the two small windows every night so creepers couldn’t creep.  The sad proof:


Why?  Well, because we used to cover it with this roman shade I made…
 
…but after we went red, the old roman shade plus the red = clash, bang, boom.  No go.

But at the time, I thought I’d just whip up a new, magnetic shade (the door is metal) right after I got the door painted.  And whip one up I did…but not until a few months later.  Oops.

‘Tis:

[And in case you missed it, we painted the walls white a few weeks ago.]

And here’s how I did it.

First, I cut a piece of fabric (just some plain white broadcloth) to the size I wanted the shade to be plus two inches per side for seam allowances (I wanted it to be 27” x 37” finished so I cut my fabric to be 29” x 39”).  I used a new pattern-cutting mat I found on clearance at Walmart ($3).  It’s just cardboard so I won’t ever be able to use a rotary cutter on it (great though because I don’t own one!) but hopefully it’ll help me cut perfect squares/rectangles.  I simply laid my fabric on the mat, held it in place with a few big vases, and cut along the lines.



After I had my seemingly perfect rectangle, I took it to the ironing board and ironed a half-inch hem on all sides.

This is where the extra two inches in my cut fabric comes in.  To get a half-inch hem, I needed an extra one inch of fabric on each of the four sides. (If you’re anything but a sewing beginner, you might want to skip ahead.)  At the ironing table, I worked on one side at a time, first laying out the side to be ironed.

Using my measuring tape, I folded my fabric over one-half inch and ironed the fold (except originally I thought I wanted a one-inch hem which is why the picture below shows me folding over one-inch!  Sorry!  Pretend I’m measuring a half-inch!)

Then I folded the fabric over onto itself one more time so that I had done two half-inch folds.

After I ironed that second fold down, I pinned my hem down so that I could sew it.  Next I sewed a simple straight stitch down each side, staying as close to the inside of the hem as I could. 

Sewing a big rectangle like this to be used as a shade or a curtain panel is something easy to attempt if you’re just starting to sew.  All you have to do is sew a straight line and you’re set!  :)

When I was finished with the fabric part of my shade, I added some black pom pom trim to the bottom to liven things up a little.  I probably should’ve pinned the trim into place before sewing but instead I just held it on and used a straight stitch to attach it.  I only wanted the pom poms plus a sliver of the top ribbon showing on the front of the shade so I sewed it to the back of the shade vs. the front.

Now for the magnetic part.  To attach the shade to the door each night, my plan was to install a couple of button holes that could hold a couple of these magnetic hooks (in white) I found on clearance at Target a few years ago.

  I’ve never sewn button holes before so I was a tad nervous about trying them now but after watching this video tutorial I’m no longer afraid because they’re pretty easy.  All I had to do was make a couple of marks where I wanted my button holes (I made them an inch in and down at the top corners of my shade), attach my button foot fit with a random button about the size I wanted my holes to be, and my sewing machine did the rest.

And that’s it!  *In case you don’t sew, this could easily be done using some heat ‘n bond tape for the hemming and glue for the pom pom trim!  Punch in a couple of little grommets at the two top corners, hang it like I did mine, and you’re done!*

The trash bag went to it’s rightful place under the sink to be reused and the shade now keeps us private at night.  During the day I’ve been hanging it to the side like this:
 
But if I get sick of doing that I can always just hang it on the hooks next to the door.

I spent an hour making this shade last week and another hour painting this mirror in the living room:


Here’s what it looked like before:

Black and a nice, gawdy gold.  I found it at Goodwill last year and finally got around to hanging it last month. 
I spray primed it and then painted it a light gray (acheived by mixing some charcoal and white latex paints I had on hand).


After the paint was dry, I scraped the paint off the mirror (like I did this mirror), hung it, and called it done…for now.  I might add a gold border around the inside edge the next time I need a little paint therapy.  You know I’ll let you know.  :)
 

Between the shade and this mirror, I felt pretty darn accomplished last week.  This week is a different story so far; not a thing has gotten done.  Oh wait, I did get dressed from head to toe Monday!

And then we left the house headed for the grocery store, got to the grocery store, loaded the limo cart (you know, the ones you have to have a 10 mile radius around you in order to turn)…

[image from Raising Bluebirds]
…loaded up and paid only to walk out of the grocery store and after digging through my purse, was unable to find the car keys anywhere. Great.  Did I leave them in the car?  Did I drop them?  I have frozen food and three little people in my cart…what am I going to do?!  Oh look!  It’s pouring outside.  Great-er.  Well I guess we’ll just stand under the overhead cover at the store entrance until it stops and then we’ll head over to the van and find the keys because I probably just left them in the van, right?  Waiting, waiting…five minutes waiting.  Kids are getting antsy; food is probably thawing.  Ok, we’ll just have to run for it.  So we did.  We I ran for it.  Limo and all.  The doors are unlocked which means the keys are probably in the ignition or on the seat (so irresponsible) but before I grab them I toss the wet kids in along with the wet groceries and then I go to grab the keys but…wait, they’re not there.  They’re not anywhere!  Blast!  Why did I have to leave the house?!  Why?  Why?  WHY?  Call Anthony.  Oh yes, He’ll come help me.  (Calls Anthony.)  He’s on his way home anyway but can’t get here for another twenty or so minutes.  Ok.  So we sit in the van while it rains and wait.  And wait.  And wait.  Ten minutes pass and the rain slows to a sprinkle.  It’s getting stuffy in here and I’m pretty sure somebody let one slip.  Ah, I can’t breathe!  Ok.  I’ll just pack the kids back up and we’ll go inside to see if anyone turned the keys in.  Of course there’s always the other situation in which someone is now using the keys that I dropped to get into my house and steal all our things but let’s just try and focus on the positive shall we?  Positive, positive, positive.  My glass is half-full and there is a spring in my (wet) step.  Ugh, WHY did I have to leave the house?!  Deep breaths.  Grab Sebastian; the girls can walk. With one load in one arm and a chain of two little girls in the other, we traipsed back into the store and headed to the customer service counter where, after asking about my keys and being questioned about what kind and what did they look like so as to tell whether they really were mine before handing them over, I got my keys back.  Where I dropped them only one person knows and why I dropped them?  Oh, I know that one!  It’s because between juggling groceries and kids, who has time to make sure where her car keys are?  Not me! 

(And that is probably the first (yes, first) and last time I ever go on a weeks-worth-of-food grocery run with kids ever, ever, ever again.)

The end.

Wait, wasn’t this post about a shade?  Seems like she might have a little PTSD.  Probably.  

A Story of Two Best Friends

So, where were we?  Oh yes, it was official.  We were…what is that juvenile term for a dating relationship again?…oh yeah, a thing.

Three weeks into our ‘official’ relationship, we still hadn’t locked lips.  Fine by me and in fact, I loved that we hadn’t kissed before we knew we really wanted to put effort into the relationship and make ourselves a couple.  Not that I think there’s anything wrong with kissing someone you are on the road to an official relationship with!  In fact, first came the kiss, then came the relationship title in all of my previous four (five?…can’t remember) real relationships.  But, I loved how this one was different.  I think a kiss, as simple as it is, is a sacred thing.  I don’t advise throwing them out to anyone because, well, germs.  Ha!  No, I’m kidding…about the germs.  A kiss is a sign of affection for someone you care for and to give that little piece of yourself to someone you don’t really care about might not seem like such a bad thing but hearts are fickle and hearts can get hurt by the little as much as the big.  Anyway, Anthony was so respectful of me, guarding my heart and his and so it wasn’t until three weeks into our little puppy love fest that he laid one on me.  Let me tell you how it went down…on.  First, I’m sure you’re probably aware but waiting for the person you have a big crush on to kiss you is one of the worst waits.  SuspenseFUL!  I’m not the most forward type so I sure wasn’t going to be the one to make the first move.  So, one night we went out to dinner.  It was full of good food and great convo per the usual with us and Anthony told me once or twice that he had something for me when we got back to campus.  Fun!  A surprise!  Dinner ended and we drove back and pulled into a parking spot next to my dorm.  Anthony turned the car off and said again, “I have something for you.”  Only he wasn’t moving to get out of the parked car.  He just turned the slightest bit toward me and it got a little quiet and then…

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A car pulled up next to us and he got all awkward for a second and quickly said, “Ok, let’s go.”  After that I knew what he was up to and I knew it involved our lips…or at least that what I thought.  I could tell he was a little nervous after we got out of the car and of course, now I was giddy and nervous and didn’t know which way was up.  We headed towards the dorm entrance and right before we went in, he said “Let’s go for a walk.”  Ok.  Nothing out of the ordinary except my intuition that he had kissing intentions.  Except that it was; this walk was totally out of the ordinary.  Usually we just strolled around, not a care in the world, just the two of us and the easy flow of words between us.  This walk it seemed like he was on a mission.  He’d lead me somewhere, look around, then go in a totally different direction.  It’s so funny to think back on.  Ten minutes later we were down by our student center and he was doing some scouting about when all of a sudden, he grabbed me by the shoulders, turned me towards him and…

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…to be continued.

Kidding!  Only kidding!  I clearly have a twisted idea of fun brought on by a lack of sleep (sick kids).

So, he turned me towards him and told me to close my eyes and, while my heart beat straight out of my chest, he planted one on me.  And it was…….so awkward!!!  He didn’t kiss me on my lips guys.  He kissed me on my teeth!  I knew this was coming and I couldn’t stop smiling and giggling and then it happened and I just didn’t know what to do and couldn’t control myself and…awkward.  But wait, it gets better.  After the kiss, I opened my eyes and hanging over my head, held by Anthony, was a little mistletoe.  I melted.  I saved that little mistletoe and then it got lost somewhere in one of my moves but I will cherish the memory of that (attempted) kiss forever.    

 
[Spring 2005]

That first kiss was right before Christmas break (2004) and the spring after was my last spring at Franciscan before I graduated with my Bachelors’ degree and moved home to Nebraska.  Anthony drove home with me and all of my stuff right after graduation and stayed for about a week and then we didn’t see each other all summer until a week before he flew to Austria to spend the semester abroad.  I flew to him in New York and we savored that week we had, knowing that the next year would be tough.  First four months an ocean apart (and back then technology was not that of 2015 – I bought two calling cards and we talked maybe an hour a week) and then another spring; he back in Ohio at college; me working at home.  We saw each other a couple of times that spring – once he flew out and surprised me and then spring break we traveled to Utah together – and then as things got more serious, I decided to move back out to Ohio where my sister and best friend were still in college as well.  I moved in with my two ‘sisters’ and was 1000 miles closer to my love.  Finally.  No more long distance.  Only short distance.  Awesome.

 
[A Valentine’s Day surprise]

One, two, skip a few memories lest I bore you but here are a few stats:
Number of months we dated before we were married:  36 (exactly…we got married on our three-year anniversary)
Number of months we dated before getting engaged:  24.5
Number of times we broke up while dating:  1 (for a week)
Number of months we enjoyed a short-distance relationship:  22 (but the number goes down to 10 if we don’t include our engagement period)
Number of months we braved long distance:  14 (these were solely during our dating phase)
When I knew he was “the one”:  4 months in

So the Christmas season was rolling in in 2006 and I was set to go home to spend it with my family for a week and Anthony was leaving to go to his so one night we had one last parting dinner (he made it cause he was and still is the chef in this relationship) the night before we each jetted off.  After dinner, Anthony left because he had to go valet park for a Christmas party and so I got back to packing.  Twenty minutes after he left, he called me and asked me if I wanted to “go to adoration with me quick?  It’s down in the chapel.”  Ugh, it was dark and the cold rain outside didn’t sound fun to run through (a five minute run), plus my unfinished packing was a tad overwhelming.  *Sigh*  “Sure.  I’ll be right down.”  So, dazzling everyone (no one though, really) with my fake Uggs, over-sized sweatpants, and long-sleeved work tee, I scampered down the slippery sidewalk down to the chapel and just who was right there at the entrance, dressed TO THE NINES, opening the door for me and ushering me in?  Who else but Anthony?  Perfectly logical, right?  Right. 
Me:  “Why are you dressed up?”
Him:  “Because I have to valet park, remember?  I have to dress up.”
Me:  “Oh, right.”
Duh.  Not that I was expecting anything because I wasn’t.  I was totally oblivious to what was about to happen. 

We walked through the front lobby of the chapel, opened the doors to the chapel and…no adoration.  No people, no priest, no Jesus, no nothing.  “What?  I thought you said there was adoration tonight?”  “Shhh…”, he said as he led me up the aisle in the very empty chapel.  And then I saw them.  Roses and candles lining the aisle.  Still either slightly oblivious (or just dumb) or in utter disbelief that maybe a little ‘ole ring was hiding somewhere, I started to say “Where are we go…””SHHH…(and with a huge grin on his face and in the most loving way) Don’t ruin this for me.”  Ho-ly smokes!  I think I stopped breathing and I might’ve blacked out for two seconds because all of a sudden all I remember is being in front of the altar with the man that I loved down on his knee, telling me all these wonderful things and then asking me if I would spend the rest of my life with him.  Oh, and he was holding out a beautiful ring.  And the flood gates opened (and I totally didn’t think I’d be one to cry at my own proposal).  All I could do between near-hyperventilation and tears was pull him up to me and hold him close.  There were no words…no literally.  There weren’t.  I forgot to say “yes”.  After holding me for a few minutes poor Anthony looked into my eyes and said “Soooo, is that a yes?”  Ummm, obviously.  Like can’t you read into female emotional train-wreck feelings crying just-breathe over here?  Men.  Ha!  Kidding, but really.  He just had to make sure.  :)

Best Christmas present ever.  After we (okay, I) calmed down a tad, Mr. Prepared over here pulled a Kodak out of his pocket and made sure we got a picture of the awkward soon-to-be bride:
   
[Who cares that I look like a drowned, tear-stained rat, he liked it and he put a ring on it, right?]

And the happy couple:
 

We went back up to my apartment afterwards and called our family, most of whom, after being informed by the man himself earlier in the day, were waiting on pin and needles for the call.  After being on the phone for a good hour, we settled in and just talked.  Talked about us.  Talked about when we knew.  Talked about when the wedding might be.  Talked about how he called my grandpa (my dad’s dad) the night before to ask him if he could “ask Sheena to marry him tomorrow” and my grandpa thought he literally meant he wanted to marry me tomorrow; have the wedding tomorrow.  My grandpa got a little flustered because they were 1000 miles away and it was quick and of course he and my grandma wanted to be at their first grandchild’s wedding and “well, I don’t know…”.  After my grandpa voiced his concern, a nervous Anthony caught on to the big miscommunication and got the okay for the proposal the next day.  :) 

We spent the next year preparing for marriage – Pre-Cana (marriage prep classes), Natural Family Planning classes, and planning a wedding that was to take place a thousand miles away.  I was working full-time at a bank and Anthony was going to school full-time and working part-time.  In the meantime, my sister and best friend both graduated and moved away for work so I moved out of our shared apartment and into a house Anthony and I bought three months before we got married.  I brought my family’s dog back with me after a visit home to protect me from murderers and robbers (in our relatively safe neighborhood) during those three and only months I’ve ever lived alone in my life.  And finally, that day we had looked so forward to and planned so much for came.

Annnnnd that’s where I leave you today.  I hear some chit-chat going on a couple rooms over where once two little girls were napping so I’ll just go ahead and leave these beans on the floor and spill more later.  :)   


[Impromptu engagement photo taken by a friend at Dan and Lauren’s wedding.]

Stay tuned.  There are only two more chapters in this saga and I promise I won’t drag it out too much.  ;)